Court halts Necochea Casino tender in last moment ruling
Court halts Necochea Casino tender in last moment ruling
The Administrative Court of Necochea has halted the auction of the Necochea Casino located on Argentina’s Atlantic coast at the last moment.
The ruling orders the process to be stopped until the merits of the case are resolved and suspends the ordinance that authorized the auction scheduled for February 11.
The judge argued that key steps were not followed before proceeding with the sale of the property, including the involvement of the Preservation Commission and the completion of an environmental impact assessment, given that the property is located within Miguel Lillo Park.
In addition the judicial decision called into question the haste with which the transaction was attempted and raises doubts about the technical soundness of the case file.
The municipality rejected the judge’s ruling and announced that it will appeal the measure. Local lawmakers argue that current regulations stipulate that the implementing authority in these types of processes is the Executive Department itself rather than the preservation commission, and therefore, in their view, no additional ruling was required.
They also maintain that the ordinance only authorizes a change of ownership of the property, without any construction or building modifications, and that therefore a prior environmental assessment was unnecessary.
The Municipality of Necochea has confirmed that it will appeal the injunction. The Executive branch stated that it respects the court’s decision but disagrees with the grounds for the ruling and will pursue “the appropriate legal channels” to overturn it.
According to reports in local press, the injunction has exposed a process that had already been questioned by residents and specialists, who had requested access to studies, appraisals, and urban planning definitions without receiving clear answers.
The legal setback also undermines the local government’s central argument, which defended the auction as a way to recover an abandoned building and generate investment. Furthermore, hours before the registration deadline for the auction, no bidders had registered for the tender. There was only one last minute bidder – a local firm made of businesspeople from the area.
In March 2024 Governor of the province of Buenos Aires province Axel Kicillof reaffirmed his commitment to revitalize the Necochea Casino Complex during a visit to the city. The casino is located in one of the city’s most iconic buildings but it has been beset by problems including a fire in 2020. The ordinance authorizing the process was approved by the City Council at the end of December last year.
